POLICE and health officials have joined forces to improve care and support for people with mental health problems.

They aim to cut the number of mentally ill people kept in police cells in Sussex when no hospital facilities are available.

Last weekend police in Brighton and Hove spent two hours trying to find a bed for a mentally ill patient missing from Northumberland.

He was found in Hove Lawns but had to be kept in custody because there were no alternatives.

A declaration signed by senior health leaders, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne and Chief Constable Giles York sets out how they will work together to support people with mental health issues.

This includes sharing data and working in partnership to ensure people get access to help they need as quickly as possible without having to be placed in police cells.

Mrs Bourne said: “Police cells are no place for people with mental illness.

“Mental health issues affect a large number of people across all sections of society. Those who live with this illness are also disproportionately more likely to be victims of crime.

“Dealing with the issue is a challenge for all of us, not least police officers who regularly come into contact with those living with mental illness.

“Vulnerable people in our society need improved support and care from health professionals as well as the police.

“They should not be greeted by police officers, handcuffed and taken to a cell but instead be seen by medical experts, who can offer them the appropriate support.”

Sussex Partnership NHS Trust chief executive Colm Donaghy said: “People in mental health crisis are highly vulnerable and need the right healthcare treatment, in the right place, at the right time.

“One way we’re doing this is through use of street triage, where mental health nurses respond to emergency calls with the police.

“We’re also working hard to make sure that anyone who needs hospital care is treated as close to home as possible and receives the right support once they have been discharged.”